Before everyone flames me saying that smoking kills your vocal cords and lungs, I agree it does, but check out my theory.

I have been reading a lot from people assisting others to growl n whatnot, and a few people tend to remark that smoking helps and everyone tells them how evil they are. I've been starting to think these people may be right somehow. Let me explain. Regular smokers are taking in rather large breaths each time they breathe in the smoke, and from their regularity, they probably are performing a sort of breathing exercise each time they light up! Subconciously, perhaps, as they continue their smoking habit, they are getting better and better at inhaling, thus possessing a stronger diaphragm, and having better lung capacity. By the way, I am NOT a smoker, and have never smoked in my life. This is just my theory, and I think it's plausible although I have no evidence. Does anyone agree? Also, I don't want anyone to take my theory and go smoking a pack a day. Maybe we can learn from smokers and their habits to develop better breathing exercises to grasp a better growl?

the only way smoking would help growling as far as i can see is building up phlegm in the throat. it's not really worth smoking for when you can do it just as well with or without smoking (i used to smoke)

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Unless you're Lane Staley, smoking is not a good thing to do when trying to have a good singing voice.

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not a good singing voice but on all accounts ive read it helps the smokers death metal vocals

and rip staley, god what a voice

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if you cant growl without smoking you shouldn't be growling at all

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+100.

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Righto.

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I never suggested that people who wish to growl should take up smoking. I do know a bloke with a fantastic growl and he doesn't smoke, he's just been doing it for a while. I'm just under this impression that growling requires that the person possesses great lung control, and can use their lungs to growl better from having better lung control. The lung control is just obtained from the 'breathing exercises' these smokers are performing everyday. And yes, I do know that smoking ruins a singing voice, but growling? I don't think so, because from what I hear, and from Melissa Cross (Zen of Screaming), the screaming and growling voice is from the false cords.

smokers are also damaging their lungs, filling them with tar.

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you could probably get the same effect from drinking milk before you play.

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I'm guessing if there are any effects on lung power, they are negligible in the short-term and definately increasingly negative in the long term. So I don't think it helps 'teh growlz'.

Im not sure about other people. but ive never been a good growler but smoking has made my growls worse than what they were.

If you're going to fuck your body up for the sake of growling, drink whiskey. It loosens the throat, making it much easier to sound powerful without straining the vocal cords.

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Thanks for the comments guys. I think some of you have kinda missed my point a little, and yes I do realise that smoking is a silly idea to improve growls, I realised this ages ago. I've just noticed that most growlers I know smoke a buttload. I mentioned before I knew a guy who didn't smoke and had an awesome growl, turns out he's a friggin chimney. I was just exploring the ideas of how. Like I know smoking makes you short of breath, but how the f*** are they so good?! Look at Mikael Akerfeldt, he's a big smoker, but has a great growl (actually has a good singing voice too, but it must be affecting him somehow). There COULD be something that smoking does that has the same affect as I guess training the lungs/diaphragm would to be able to growl properly.

OR, I'm just jealous that my growl lacks volume and hurts after 5 minutes...

Is it a lack of breath after 5 minutes, or is it a case of your voice just going shitty? This is important because if it's a lack of breath, you can change that by getting healthier and shit. If it's because your throat goes all raw after a few minutes, you're probably using your vocal cords wrong, which I have no answer for and you'd probably want to consult an expert about that, even if it's that woman that worked with all those idiot metalcore bands.

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yeh my throat goes raw, and yeh I know that I need to figure out a new way of growling. It was a bit disappointing seeing that woman work with mainly metalcore bands.

I don't smoke and I can growl with the best of them. it's all based on technique and what you drink.

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I'm not too sure about growling, but I highly doubt Axl Rose would have that "gritty/raunchy" voice if he didn't smoke, and he smokes a-fucking-lot....usually between songs when performing live. Kurt Cobain smoked too, which might have helped him achieve that "gritty" voice also. Neither are metal....but just thought I'd say.

~Cheers.

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as a smoker, i feel i should add my two cents, it hasnt helped my lung capacity any, if anything, it makes me a weaker breather, and i run out of O2 fast. also, i could growl better before i started smoking.

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Agreed. I started doing growls when I was a smoker, and it was decent. Then quit smoking, and had much more lung capacity, but I noticed slightly less depth. Since then I've started smoking again, and it's gone downhill from there, harder to breathe again, but easier to get lower. Probably just the phlegm it builds up.

well, it does make my growling more dirty, altough it also hurts much easier.
you can get the same if not better effect by drinking milk/yoghurt/coke.

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